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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Thanks? You're quite welcome

Friends are often surprised to learn I write speeches for corporate executives. “They don’t write their remarks themselves?,” they ask. My mother has a different question: “Did they thank you for the speech?”

She used to ask that of any project I wrote: annual reports, websites, newsletters, articles.

I’d tell her my thanks came in the form of a check: a fair exchange of work for monetary reward. I expect nothing more.

That’s why I was so surprised to be invited to a client’s celebration of its brand launch and website redesign. Sure, I worked on the project. I put in many hours. And I was paid for my efforts. My only hope after cashing the check was to be considered for future work.

When I got the email invite, I thought it must have been a mistake. My name was on a project list, so I was probably included by oversight. They wouldn’t possibly invite a vendor to a company celebration, would they?

I emailed another vendor who had worked on the project. “Did you get this email from the client? Are you going to the launch party?” He wrote back: “Yup. And you should, too.”

So I sent back my RSVP, cleared my calendar, and went to the party.

I had been writing about the company’s culture of caring and compassion for months. Now I was seeing it in action.

How unusual, in today’s environment of budget-cutting and downsizing, to extend such generosity and welcome to a vendor. It says more than I ever could convey in words about the company and its core values.

Not only was it unexpected to be included in the client’s corporate family, it also turned out to be a lot of fun.

About the author

In 2000, I jumped off the corporate ladder and started AMY INK to provide “Fresh Thinking, Effective Writing” to business clients around the world. I leverage the expertise gained over years as an executive speechwriter and communications staffer -- including VP spots at two global companies -- with the changing trends of today’s social media. The common thread in all my work: writing clear, engaging content that builds relationships with audiences.
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